Welcome to the Advanced Dance Theater Group

of Beverly Hills High School

The COMPANY '99

Notes on a Program

Dear Visitor, welcome to the Advanced Dance Theater Group of Beverly Hills High School, Company '99 web page.  The ethereal & mysterious poster/program cover features Carolina Gutierrez in costume for Section 4 of Janet Roston's "No Story," the concert finale. The photographer was Rose Eichenbaum, who also did the company members' portraits below. The poster design was done by company alumna Jennifer Logan.

This year's highlights include exciting dances from two terrific Guest Choreographers, Yolanda Yorke-Edgell and former Company member (1982-86) Jennifer Jessum. Alumni Choreographer Miriam Kramer contributes a piece, while Artistic Director Janet Roston presents two works. Company members choreograph the nine remaining dances that are distinguished by their diversity of styles and wide range of emotions.
 

JUNIORS: Bottom: Jon Gottlieb, Rachel Weinstein, Elizabeth Drumea, Dalia Safaradi Second: Maya Melczer, Mythili Prakash, Hadar Sayegh Third: Sarah Koplin, Joie Mazor, Se Chin Yi, Carolina Gutierrez, Top: Elina Lerman, Alex Molayem

Line-Up

Setting: DMV office, 1962

Choreography: Janet Roston

Music: Dwight Yokum -- Dancers: The Company '99 -- Special Guests: Karin Bassa, Leslie Feinstein
 
 

Tears of Autumn Leaves

Choreography: Maya Melczer

Sunshine/Noir A Day In L.A.

Caffene Jitters: Good Morning, L.A.

Choreography: Laura Karlin

Music: George Todd -- Dancers: Laura Karlin, Joie Mazor, Amanda Tucker

Restless Life in an Ambitious Place

Choreography: Se Chin Yi

Music: Jan Salisbury Dancer: Se Chin Yi

Super Nova

No matter who we are Or where we are, We see the same sun rise

Choreography: Amy Miyamoto

Music: Yoko Kamo -- Dancers: Cherie Hwang, Carter Klein, Sarah Koplin, Elina Lerman, Amy Miyamoto, Alex Molayem, Michael Wells

In October, The Company "99 performed at the Armand Hammer Museum as a part of thier "Sunshine/Noir" exhibit. For this performance Company members created dances based on thier concepts and feelings of life in Los Angeles. These three dances were originally created for that performance.
 
 

45 Minutes Ago, Y?

Choreography: Section 1 Roni Kosmal, Dena Franks Section 2 Elizabeth Drumea, Joie Mazor, Elizabeth Sroka
Section 3 Maggie Shamdassani

Music: Chub Rock, M.C. Hammer, Clipse

Dancers: The A.P. Posse: Elizabeth Drumea, Aaron Harvey, Oren Kashanian, Elina Lerman, Joie Mazor, Elizabeth Sroka, Amanda Tucker , Shaymus Yarbrough, Se Chin Yi

Dedicated to The A.P. Posse '91!

Profile

Choreography: Miriam Kramer

Music: Johann Sebastian Back

Text: Marion Scott

Sound Design: Ethan Minton

Dancers: Cherie Hwang, Sarah Koplin, Elina Lerman, Amy Miamoto, Elizabeth Sroka, Maya Melczer (understudy)

My deepest gratitude to Marion Scott for her inspiring and thoughtful words, and to Ethan Minton for piecing everything together

Freedom From The Illusion Of Separation

(For Amarth)

Choreography: Jennifer Jessum

Music: Dead Can Dance

Rehearsal Assistant: Rachael Robbins

Dancers: The Angelic Realm: Mythili Prakash, Amanda Tucker, Cherie Hwang

Initiate : Alex Molayem

Dwellers: Elizabeth Sroka, Joie Mazor, Michael Wells, Elina Lerman, Jesse Macht, Carolina Gutierrez, ShaymusYarbrough, Sarah Koplin, Se Chin Yi, Amy Miyamoto, Oren Kashanian, Elizabeth Drumea, Adam Scher

Guardians: Aaron Harvey, Warren Sroka, Maya Melczer, Laura Karlin, Shelby Kraushaar, Jon Gottleib, Carter Klein, Shirley Lechtman, Adam Sires
 
 

! @ # ? *

Choreography: Michael Wells and Oren Kashanian

Music Performed by: Michael Wells and Oren Kashanian

Additional Music: Survivor, Johnny Mathis Voice: Richard G.A. Rhodobush

Dancers: Jon Caren, Elizabeth Drumea, Jonathan Gottleib, Aaron Harvey, Oren Kashanian, Cater Klein, Sarah Koplin, Shirley Lechtman, Jesse Macht, Joie Mazor, Maya Melczer, Alex Molayem, Mythili Prakash, Adam Sires, Elizabeth Sroka, Warren Sroka, Amanda Tucker, Michael Wells, Shaymus Yarbrough, Se Chin Yi
 
 

Just Kidding

Choreography: Yolanda Yorke-Edgell

Music: Steve Reich -- Dancers: Carolina Gutierrez, Oren Kashanian, Sarah Koplin, Joie Mazor, Mythili Prakash, Adam Scher, Elizabeth Sroka, Amanda Tucker, Se Chin Yi

Understudies: Laura Karlin, Elina Lerman

Septic Affliction: Welcome to Our Web...

This is evil

This is the last evil

This compounds and solidifies evil

This drains evil from the world

Now that this has been it will never have to be done again

-Mike Kelly

Apology I - V, 1984

Choreography: Elina Lerman

Music: Massive Attack, Final Vocal by Elina Lerman, mixed by Mike Mann

Set Design: Rachael Robbins

Dancers: Spider Queen: Elina Lerman

Unwelcomed Creature: Adam Scher

Offspring: Carolina Gutierrez, Amy Miyamoto, Shelby Kraushaar, Cherie Hwang, Laura Karlin

Pain (n): punishment, suffering , anxiety, anguish, sensation of hurting transmitted through the nervous system, hurt.

Chronic (adj): recurring, perceptual, habitual, constant.

Choreography: Elizabeth Sroka

Music: Performed by the Kronos Quartet, collage created by Elizabeth Sroka and Janet Roston

Dancers: Elina Lerman, Amy Miyamoto, Shelby Kraushaar, Elizabeth Sroka

Choreography: Mythili Prakash

Music: Sheila Chandra, Peter Gabriel, David Byrne

Dancers: Travelers: Laura Karlin, Sarah Koplin, Amanda Tucker

Mystic Spirits: Cater Klein, Maya Melczer

Spirit of Destruction: Mythili Prakash

Sculpture of Ancient Temple: Carolina Guttierez, Oren Kashanian, Shelby Kraushaar, Alex Milayem, Adam Scher, Michael Wells

 Pre-Millenium Version: 9.9

(Originally performed by The Company '87)

Choreography: Janet Roston

Music: Brian Eno, Aretha Franklin, Transglobal Underground, Bobby McFerrin, Miles Davis

Costume Design: Janet Roston Mask Design and mask movement consultant: Wolfe Bowart

Dancers: Section 1: Shirley Lechtman

Special Guests: Karin Bassa, Leslie Feinstein, Avital Ferd, Michelle Kaye, Maddy Lasry, Chase Naphtal, Elizabeth Sawar, Schuyler Sorosky, Sarah Rosenblatt, Julianne Weiss

Section 2: Laura Karlin, Sarah Koplin, Shelby Kraushaar, Joie Mazor, Maya Melczer, Amy Miyamoto

Section 3: The Men of Company and Special Guests

Section 4: Carolina Gutierrez

Section 5: Elizabeth Drumea, Cherie Hwang, Carter Klein, Shirley Lechtman, Elina Lerman, Mythili Prakash, Elizabeth Sroka, Amanda Tucker Joined by the rest of the cast
 
 

Yolanda Yorke-Edgell was born in England and began her professional dance training at the Arts Educational School and later graduated from the London Studio Center. In 1989, she joined Extemporary Dance Theater. She then danced with Extreme Measures before joining Rambert Dance Company in 1991. After arriving in Los Angeles, she joined the Lewitzky Dance Company and danced with them until their closure in 1997. She has been a guest artist with Pacific Dance Ensemble and has worked with the Los Angeles Opera and The Royal Opera in London. In addition to performing, she choreographs for television and film and is a resident artist for the Los Angeles Music Center Education Division. In 1997 Ms. Yorke-Edgell founded Yorke Dance Project and is currently its artistic director.

Jennifer Jessum holds a B.F.A. in Dance From N.Y.U. She has performed with companies and choreographers throughout the country including: Bebe Miller, Elizabeth Streb, Hannah Kahn and Maedee Dupres. Her choreography has been produced and commissioned by venuses thoughout the U.S. including: The Cunningham Studios in NYC, On the Boards in Seattle, The Cloe Parker Robinson Dance Theater in Denver and The Manchester Dance Festival in Vermont where she was the recipient of two Choreographic Fellowships. She has been on the faculties of many organizations including the Pacific Northwest Ballet (Seattle), Manchester Dance Festival (Vermont), A Living Arts Centre (Denver) and the Dancelab NYC. Jenny was a four year member of The Company 1982-1986. This year marks her third return to The Company as a guest choreographer.

Miriam Kramer recently graduated from UCLA with a B.A. in Dance Performance and Choreography. A recipeint of the Jean Irwin Scholarship for potential in the field of dance, Miriam has performed as a member of the UCLA Dance Company with Madeline Scott, Nina Martin, and Lela Higginson. She performed with Victoria Marks at Highways Performance Space. A member of The Company in 1993 and 1994, Miriam was an Assistant Artistic Director last year. She choreographed the opening for The Company '98 at that time. Along with her work as a dancer, Miriam is a Pilates instructor in West L.A.

Janet Roston has worked as a choreographer in a wide variety of media including feature films, corporate shows, and many commercials (including numerous recent spots for Disney). Television credits include the N.B.C. mini-series Seduced by Madness starring Ann-Margret and Peter Coyote, Ned and Stacey, George, A League of Thier Own, and Ask Harriet. Theater choreography includes Avenue X at the Odyssey Theater for which she recieved a Drama-Logue Award, A...My Name is Alice at the Long Beach Center Theater, and Nite-Club Confidential starring Scott Bakula which won an L.A. Weekly Award for Outstanding Musical Production. Janet produced and directed the instructional video, Principles of Choreography, which has won medals at the New York Film Festival, Houston Worldfest Film Festival, and Columbus Film Festival. She has directed the Advanced Dance Theater Group for 17 years. She sends her warmest regards to all alumni of The Company.

Artistic Director .............................................Janet Roston

Assistant artistic directors ..............................Rachael Robbins, Christy Bollingborke

Company Manager ........................................Brandi Daniels

Costume Managers ........................................Rachel Weinstein, Stephanie Flaxman

Publicity Managers ........................................Dalia Safardi

Production Manager ...................................... Hadar Sayegh

Costume Design .............................................Janet Roston, Rachael Robbins, Christy Bollingborke

Costume Construction ....................................Nirit Lechtman, Lexi Nikitas

Technical Director ...........................................Andrew D' Ambrosio

Lighting Design ..............................................Rachael Robbins, Andrew D'Ambrosio

Assistant Stage Manager .................................Jonathan Millar

Lighting Director ............................................Manuel Artadi

Light Crew ......................................................Christopher Brandt, Samuel Defias, Megan Young

Shift Director ..................................................Avital Ferd

Poperties Director ...........................................Karin Bassa

Sound Director ...............................................Joshua Daneshgar, Michael Hausner

Fly Crew .........................................................Jonathan Daneshgar, Michael Megdal

Fly Crew/Curtain ...........................................Jason Colombetti

Fly Master and Asst. Lighting ...................... Matthew Ellis

Parent Committee Chairperson ......................Pam Kraushaar

Poster and Program Cover Photo ..................Rose Eichenbaum

Poster Design ................................................Jennifer Logan

Program Design ............................................Jon Caren

Audio-Visual Director .................................. Dave Stiles